The Higher Committee of the ‘Kanz Al Jeel’ Award has held a meeting to discuss the recommendations raised by its judging panels and to ratify the winners of the Award’s first round, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC).

‘Kanz Al Jeel’ was launched by the ALC, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), to celebrate works of Nabati poetry, an art form which is deeply rooted in Emirati heritage. The Award draws inspiration from the poems of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The meeting was headed by Issa Saif Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the ‘Kanz al Jeel’ Higher Committee and Vice Chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Cultural and Heritage Programmes and Festivals Management Committee. Members of the Higher Committee attending the meeting included H.E. Abdullah Majid Al Ali, Director-General of the National Library and Archives; Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Acting Executive Director of the ALC and Director of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair; Bahraini academic Dr. Diaa Al-Kaabi, and Saudi academic and researcher Dr. Munira Al-Ghadeer, along with Jordanian researcher and translator Dr. Khalil Al-Sheikh as Rapporteur of the Committee.

Issa Al Mazrouei said: “For the Award’s inaugural edition, we have received outstanding works that reflect the initiative’s vision and identity, which is inspired by the poetry of the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The submissions have demonstrated that literary works focussing on heritage are particularly important to creative thinkers in the UAE and abroad. ‘Kanz Al Jeel’ offers an opportunity to shed light on these distinguished works and the people behind them, underlining their beauty and the human values they highlight, which are rooted in the Emirati and Arab collective conscience.”

For his part, Saeed Al Tunaiji said: “‘Kanz Al Jeel’ forms a significant part of the tremendous efforts undertaken to preserve heritage in the UAE, which is a top priority for our wise leadership. The Award also aligns with the objectives of Abu Dhabi’s cultural strategy, which strives to protect Emirati heritage and pass it on to future generations. This commitment to our heritage and identity is deeply rooted in our country’s history. Since its establishment, the UAE has launched a wide range of cultural initiatives and projects to support creative works related to heritage, which help strengthen national identity and inspire a sense of belonging in the Emirati people.”

The Awards received 234 nominations from 20 countries around the world, across its six categories: Studies and Research, Poetry Publications, Poetry Matching, Arts, Translation, and Creative Personality.

Launched to promote poetry as a mirror of society, the ‘Kanz Al Jeel’ draws inspiration from the poems of the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, given the deep meanings that Sheikh Zayed’s poems invoke in the Emirati and Arab collective conscience.

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